Injector



lNov. 2.8, 1939. E. F. c. LINGENBRINK 2,181,701

INJECTOR Filed June 30, r1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FROM Nov. 28, 1939. H. E. F. c. LINGENBRINK 2.181,701

INJECTO R Filed June 50, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INJECTOR Hermann E. F. C. Lingenbrink, Philadelphia, Pa.,

assigner to William Sellers & Company, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 30, 1939, Serial No. 282,041

9 Claims.

l to operate wholly or partially with exhaust steam.

The invention here relates more particularly to apparatus for the control of supply to an injector of exhaust steam from an engine or, in the alternative, when suiiicient exhaust steam is not available, of auxiliary live steam at suitably reduced pressure.

Still more particularly, in accordance with this invention the supply to an injector of exhaust or auxiliary live steam will be primarily controlled by means operable by exhaust steam pressure, such means being under control of live steam pressure in order to insure that no starting auxiliary live steam will be supplied to the injector initially. Again, means are provided to delay operation-of the means operable under exhaust steam pressure in order to insure that on the operation thereof there will be an adequate supply of exhaust steam for the injector.

The improvement according to this invention, While adaptable generally for use in connection with injectors of the type operating wholly or partly on exhaust steam, will be found to have exceptional advantage and merit in connection with injectors of the feed-water heating type.

Such injectors are Well known and in general comprise a set of heating tubes to which water and' steam at relatively low pressure are supplied, and a set of forcing tubes receiving the delivery from the heating tubes into which live steam is supplied for delivery'into a boiler.

Further and more specific details with respect to this invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an auxiliary live steam Valve in association with operating mechanism adapted for operation under exhaust steam pressure.

Figure 2 is a side View, partly in section, of

' mechanism for automatically controlling the supply of exhaust steam or, in the alternative, auxiliary live steam, to an injector.

' Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View of mechanism operable, under the influence of live steam, for control of the supply of operating exhaust steam tothe mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side View of a locomotive equipped with feed-water heater type of injector mechanism for the control of a supply of exhaust steam or, in the alternative, of

(Cl. 10S-265) auxiliary live steam to the heating tubes of the injector.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 4, I indicates a locomotive provided with an injector 2. The injector may be of any Well known type operating wholly or partly on exhaust steam. As shown the injector is of the typeshown in United States Patent Nos. 1,539,319 and 1,683,784 having a set of heating tubes 3 arranged to deliver into a set of forcing tubes 4, which in turn deliver to the boiler of the locomotive through a yconduit 5. The heating tubes 3 are supplied with water through a conduit 6 under control oi a valve 1, while the forcing tubes are provided with live steam from the locomotive boiler through a conduit 8 under control of a starting valve 9. Exhaust steam from the locomotive cylinder when available, as when steam is in the cylinder, is supplied to the tubes 3 through a conduit IU, connected to the exhaust conduit from the cylinder and to the heating tubes 3. The conduit l also serves to supply auxiliary live steam to the heating tubes in lieu of exhaust steam when steam is not on the cylinder and there is hence no exhaust available.

The supply to the heating tubes of exhaust or, in the alternative, of auxiliary live steam when exhaust is not available, is effected automatically by means actuated by exhaust steam pressure and controlled by live steam pressure. Such means are also so arranged that the injector will always be started with auxiliary live steam and so that auxiliary live steam will always be supplied to the injector unless and until adequate exhaust steam is available. Such means included in the control device, indicated at I2, Figure 4, are illustrated in detail in Figures 1-3 and will now be described with reference, more particularly, to those gures.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2,l

the mechanism for controlling the supply of exhaust or auxiliary steam to the injector is let into the conduit I0, between the injector and the exhaust pipe from the engine cylinder. The control mechanism comprises a live steam valve, for the admission of auxiliary live steam to the conduit I0, under the control of exhaust steam pressure, indicated at A, Figure 2 and detailed in Figure 1; a valve for controlling the admission of exhaust steam to the mechanism A under the control of live steam pressure, indicated at B, Figure 2 and detailed in Figure 3, and mechanism operable under live steam pressure for controlling the supply of exhaust steam to the injector through conduit I0, shown in detail at C in Figure 2.

The mechanism A comprises a casing i3 connected with the locomotive boiler through the starting valve 9 by a conduit Hl and communicating with the interior of conduit il) through a passage i5, provided with lat-eral outlets i3, the size of which may be varied by adjustment of a choke member Il. The passage of live steam from conduit lli into conduit lil is controlled by a live steam valve i8 within the casing i3. The valve I8 is double headed, the upper head i3 seating on a seat i3, and being larger than the lower head I3" which seats on a seat i3 and controls communication between conduit it and conduit l. The head i3' is also provided with .an upper seating surface 23 adapted, when the valve is open, to seat on a seat 2l. The valve stem 22 extends through a guide 23, bears on the end of a stem 205, which extends through a guide 25 and connects to the underside of a disc 23, which in turn bears on the underside of a circular' diaphragm 2'! secured within the casingr at its edges. A chamber li! is formed above the upper head i3 and a chamber il is formed below 4 the lower head i8. The chambers El! and 'il are connected by means of a passage "l2 so that when valve E8 is opened the pressure below head 3" and above head I8 is balanced.

The stem 23 is provided with spaced grooves 23 within the guide 25 which tend to catch condensate, from steam which may pass the valve stem 2@ and enter the guide 25, and which serves to lubricate the stem 2d. Between the guide 23 and the guide 25 is a space which is vented to` L Conduit l@ through a passage 23 for the escape of any live steam passing the valve stem 22.

Within the casing i3 and above the diaphragm 2l is a chamber 33 connected to the exhaust conduit i3, ahead kof the exhaust control valve mechanism C, through a conduit 3l. The passage of exhaust steam through conduit 3l is controlled by the mechanism B (Figure 3) which comprises a valve 32 having a stem 33 and normally held on its seat 33 by a spring 35. lThe lower end oi the stem 33 extends in a cylinder 36, provided at its bottom with a drain plug` 3l, and containing a piston 33.. A conduit 39 oonnects the lower end of the cylinder 36 with the live steam conduit ill. The upper end portion yof the piston 38 is reduced, as shown at ell and :passages fil, il

opening laterally through the reduced portion 33 are provided in the body of the piston and are controlled by a ball check 42, which normally rests in open position on a pin 43,

In the bottom of the chamber 33, over the center of the diaphgram 2l, is an aperture llll,

adapted to b-e throttled by the throttling member 35. The member d comprises a head having a horizontal passage 46 extending through it and with which communicates a vertical passage il leading to a chamber 68 opening into the aperture lllthrough apertures i3 in it bottom.

A hollow stem 53 extends upwardlyfrom the member 35 into a tubular guide 5l. The stem adjacent the member l5 is provided Withapertures 52 for drawing oit condensate.

The area within the casing above the diaphragm and outside of the chamber 33 may be drained through the passage 52 closed by threaded plug 33.

The'inechanism C for controlling the supply of exhaust steam to the injector, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a valve 53 adapted in 'open ,Y position to permit the passage of exhaust steam through conduit i3 to the injector and in closed Water.

position to prevent the passage of auxiliary steam to the exhaust pipe of the engine, as when live steam valve i8 is open.

The valve 53 is connected to piston 54 in the cylinder 55, to which live steam is admitted when the valve EB is opened through passages 53 in the live steam choke device ll. The valve is also connected to a cup 31, the flange 58 of which serves as an abutment for one end of the coiled spring 53, the other end of Which oonnects with the casing 33. Within the cup is a nxed piston 3i, provided with an aperture 62. 'I'he piston Eil is supported from the casing by a rod 33 and the cup is filled to a point over the piston with oil, as in Figure 2.

The operation of the embodiment of this invention will, it is believed, be made clear by the following description:

Assuming the mechanism to be carried by a locomotive, the function` of the injector being to `supply the locomotive boiler with preheated When the locomotive is standing and thei injector is shut on by closure of the starting valve 3, the live steam valve l will be in the closed position shown in Figure 1 and the exhaust steam control valve 53 will be in the open position shown in Figure 2. The valve 32, which controls the ow oi' exhaust steam to the chamthrough the conduit 8 to the forcing tubes 4 of the injector and, at the same time, live steam passes through the conduit i4, opens thelive steam valve i8, passes through the passage I5I and through the outlets i3 into the conduit Il), through which at reduced pressure, due to expansion in the conduit lll, it passes to the heating tubes 3 of the injector.

At the same time, live steam passes through the passage l5 and the choke device ll and actsy on the piston Eil in the cylinder 55, causing the valve 53 to be closed against the action of spring 59, which normally maintains it in open position. Any over rapid closing of the valve 53 is prevented by the dampening eiect caused by the passage of oil in the cup 5l through the passage 652 in piston 3l as the cup ascends with respect to the pistonk in the closing movement of the valve 53. The closing of valve 53 insures that live steam will not pass through conduit l0 toward the exhaust pipe of the engine.

With the opening of starting valve 9 and the provisionof live steam in conduit lll, live steam will pass from conduit i3 through conduit 39 and eect opening oi the valve 32 for the passage of exhaust steam through conduit 3l to chamber 3G. Live steam passing through conduit 39 will effect 'closure of the check valve 42 and act to lift the piston 38, which will act in its upward movement to lift the valve 32 off of itsfseat against the action of spring 35.

When the injector is operated with the engine standing, as described above, the heating tubes will be, as has been made clear, supplied'with auxiliary live steam. If now the engine be started up and put intoaction', exhaust steam from'theV engine will pass/into the conduit Hl through conduit 3l, valve 32 'being open', to chamber 30.' The chamber 3G will normally contain water (condensate) to about the level indicated by the line :z2-r and likewise water will be contained in the casing above the diaphragm. Exhaust steam entering chamber 30 will force water through the passages and apertures in the member 45. The passages and apertures in the member 45 will act to throttle the fluid passing through the aperture 44 to the diaphragm so that a steady supply of exhaust for operation of the injector will be insured before sufficient pressure is built up on the diaphragm 21 to depress the diaphragm with consequent depression and closing of the auxiliary live steam valve I8. Water passing through aperture 44 and acting on the diaphragm will collect in the casing I 3 above the diaphragm, whereby pressure is built up on the diaphragm compressing the air contained in the casing above the diaphragm (i. e., the space y) With closing of the auxiliary steam valve I8, auxiliary steam will no longer pass through the choke device I1 for action on the piston 54 and the exhaust steam control valve 53 will be opened by the action of itsl spring 59 with consequent supply of exhaust steam to the tubes 3. The action of the spring 59 will cause the passage of oil in the cup 51 through the aperture in the fixed piston 6I as the cup descends under the influence of the spring.

If the locomotive be again brought to rest, or the throttle be closed, as in drifting and as a result no or insufficient exhaust is available for operating the heating tubes 3, the live steam in conduit I4 will effect opening of the live steam valve I8, the exhaust control valve 53 will be closed and auxiliary live steam will be again supplied to the heating tubes. When exhaust is again available, as on restarting the engine or opening the throttle more or less, the Various parts will act as above described to shut oif the supply of auxiliary live steam and permit the supply to the heating tubes of exhaust steam.

With more particular reference to the valve I8 and its operation under the pressure of live steam in conduit I4 and by pressure of exhaust steam upon the diaphragm 21, it will be noted that when there is no pressure on the diaphragm 21 live steam will operate under the upper head I8' of the valve I8 and also on the top of the lower head I8". Since the area of the upper head I8 is greater than the lower head IB, the valve will readily open under live steam pressure. When the valve I8 starts to open pressure will build up in chambers 'Iii and 1I. The pressure above and below the heads will be less than that between the heads. When the valve I8 is in full open position, it will be noted that the upper seat 20 on its head I 8 seats on the seat 2I on the under side of the guide 23 for the valve stem 22, thus reducing the area of the top of the upper head exposed to pressure in the chamber 10 and thereby increasing the effective upward pressure on the valve, thus insuring that it will remain open until closed by the presence of sufcient pressure on diaphragm 21.

A predetermined exhaust pressure operating upon the diaphragm 21, while greatly less than the pressure of the live steam operating on the valve I8, will readily elTect a closing of the valve i8 due to the balancing effect of the pressure on the upper and lower heads of the valve, the pressures on which are more nearly balanced when the valve is closed than when it is open due to reduction in effective area of the top of the upper head when seated on seat 2 I. In practical embodiments of this invention it will be desirable to so proportion the surfaces of the heads of the valve I8 with respect to the diaphragrn 21 and the pressure to be exerted thereon that the valve I8 will open to supply auxiliary live steam to the heating tubesI 3 of the injector and will close with supply of exhaust steam on a predetermined drop and rise in pressure on the diaphragm 21.

It will be understood that the above detailed description is of a preferred embodiment of this invention for illustrative purposes and is not to be taken as in any way in limitation thereof, since it will be obvious that various modifications may be made in detail without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination with a boiler feed water inf jector adapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve in said auxiliary steam conduit for controlling the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector, said valve being at least partially balanced, means whereby when the valve is in fully opened position the force thereon acting to maintain it in fully opened position will be increased as compared to the force acting to open the valve when the valve is in closed and partially open position, a pressure responsive diaphragm mechanically connected to said valve and a passage affording communication between the exhaust from an engine and said diaphragm, said diaphragm being arranged so that the pressure of exhaust steam will be exerted thereon in a direction to close said valve.

2. In combination with a boiler feed water injector adapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve for controlling the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector, a pressure responsive diaphragm operatively connected to said valve, a passage for fluid communicating with said diaphragm, a conduit affording communication between said passage and the exhaust from an engine and means operative to throttle said passage in the direction of travel of fluid toward said diaphragm and to impose a reduced throttling effect on said passage in the opposite direction when the pressure on said diaphragm exceeds the pressure ahead of said throttling means.

3. In combination with a boiler feed Water injector adapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve for controlling the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector, a pressure responsivediaphragm operatively connected to said valve, a chamber for the reception of exhaust steam, a quantity of liquid in said chamber, a conduit connecting said chamber with the exhaust from an engine, a passage affording communication between said chamber and said diaphragm, and means operative to throttle said passage with respect to the passage of liquid under exhaust steam pressure in a direction from said chamber to said .diaphragm and to impose a reduced throttling eiect on said passage in the opposite direction when the pressure on said diaphragm exceeds the pressure ahead of said throttling means.

4. In combination with a boiler feed water injector adapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve for controlling the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector, a chamber, a pressure responsive diaphragm mounted within said chamber and operatively connected to said valve, a second chamber for the reception of exhaust steam, a liquid in said chambers, in quantity insuicient to iill the chambers, a conduit connecting said second chamber with the exhaust from an engine and a passage affording communication between said.

chambers.

5. In combination with a boiler feed water injector adapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve for controlling the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector, a chamber, a pressure responsive diaphragm mounted Within said chamber and operatively connected to said valve, a second chamber for the reception of exhaust steam, a conduit connecting saidsecond chamber with the exhaust from an engine, a passage affording communication between said chambers and means for throttling said passage in the direction from said second chamber to said diaphragm, said means being m-cvable to' impose a reduced throttling effect on said passage in the opposite direction when the pressure on said diaphragm exceeds the pressure ahead of said throttling means.

6. In combination with a boiler feed Water injector adapted to be operated Wholly or partially f with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve for controlling the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector, a pressure responsive diaphragm operatively con.- nected Ito said valve, a passage containing a liquid communicating with said diaphragm, a conduit aording communication between said passage and the exhaust from an engine and means operative to throttle, said passage in the direction of travel of liquid toward said diaphragm and to impose a reduced throttling eilect on -said passage in the op-posite direction when the pressure on said diaphragm exceeds the pressure ahead of said throttling means.

'7. In combination with a boiler feed water injector adapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a

conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve for con-trolling the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector, a chamber, a pressure responsive. diaphragm mounted' 8. In combination with a boiler feed water in-l jector adapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply of exhaust steam from an engine to the injector, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve having an upper head and a smaller lower head spaced from the upper head for controlling the passage of auxiiary steam to the injector, a pair of fixed seats for said heads respectively upon which said heads seat in one direction of movement of said valve, a third xed seat against which the upper head seats in the direction of movement of -said valve away from said pair of seats, a chamber above the seat for said upper head and a chamber below the seat for said lower head, a passage affording communication between said chambers, a` pressure responsive diaphragm, a conduit aiording communication between said diaphragm and the exhaust ci an engine and `a mechanical -conneet-ion between said valve and said diaphragm.

9. In combination with a boiler feed Water injector eadapted to be operated wholly or partially with exhaust steam, a conduit for the supply oiY exhaust steam from an engine to the in` jects-r, a conduit for the supply of auxiliary steam to the injector from a source of live steam when exhaust steam is not available, a valve having an upper head and a smaller lower head spaced from the upper head for controlling the pas-sage oi auxiliary steam to the injector, a pair of fixed seats for said heads respectively uponwhich said heads seat in` one direction of movementof said valve, a third seat against which the upper head seats in the direction of movement of said valve away from said pair of seats, a chamber labove the first mentioned seat for said upper head and a chamberv below the seat for said lower head, a passage affording communication between said chambers, a third chamber, a pressure responsive` diaphragm mounted within and forming one wall oi said third chamber, a fourth chamber located within third mentioned chamber, a conduit aiording communication between said fourth chamber and the exhaust of 'an engine, a passage aiording communication between said third and fourth chambers, a liquid in said third and fourth chambers, a non-liquid elastic medium in the third chamber above the diaphragm, whereby pressures varying in accordance with exhaust steam res-sure may be transmitted to the ydiaphragm and a mechanical connection between said valve and said diaphragm.

HERMANN E. F. C. LINGEN'BRINK. 

